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Legal Counsel Ref 608g

Closing date: 10th September 2009

Legal Department

In view of the rapid expansion and growing complexity of IB, the Board has approved the establishment of an in-house legal department and the appointment of a General Counsel to

head this function. The legal department will provide counsel, with external lawyer support as appropriate, for various corporate regulatory matters of compliance, including statutory and data protection. It will provide contract support ranging from the writing of individual contracts for high-profile new ventures to the provision of templates (for standard contracts), and a data base for tracking and oversight. Standard contracts include those for donors and for volunteers or volunteer organizations (paid or unpaid), who perform services for the IB in areas such as professional development, school authorization/evaluation visits, DP examiners. The legal department shall manage IP in terms of registered trademarks, copyright, policing of infringements by schools or other parties. The tax area will remain within the Finance function, but require close cooperation with the legal department. The legal department will also work closely with communications, publications, academic office, the schools division, and the advancement office in the provision of services.

THE POSITION

The General Counsel directs the legal department of the IB in Geneva, which will be part of the Office of the Director General. The General Counsel will report to the Deputy Director General, Ian Hill, who heads the DG’s Office. As head of the legal department, the General Counsel provides balanced and strategic legal and business advice to the Director General and senior management. He or she will manage a small team of 5 legal and administrative staff covering the areas IP, legal support and statutory.

The General Counsel will have the following responsibilities:

• Manage and develop the existing team and recruit as needed. Directly manage two posts – the IP & Legal Support Manager and the Statutory manager.
• Manage the legal budget, including information to finance about potential litigation costs.
• Legal sign-off on high profile, new venture contracts currently totalling more than USD $30million and for managing litigation cases against the IB whose costs will vary.
• Liaising with and selecting, monitoring and evaluating external lawyers and notaries, and providing own legal comment as appropriate.
• Ensuring that the IB is protected in all contracts pertaining to third parties, particularly new high-profile ventures – in particular protection of the IB’s independence (including charitable status, tax and exclusivity arrangements), reputation and IP.
• Advising on corporate and regulatory compliance, corporate governance, statutory,donations, litigation management, data protection, government recognition of IB programmes – and on policies relating to these areas.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

We are looking for an internationally experienced legal professional who will bring the required professional credibility and strategic, managerial and collaboration skills to provide high quality strategic and balanced legal and business advice to the IB. This person will be a strongly valuesdriven individual with moral integrity, a high level of self-motivation, well developed interpersonal and influencing skills and a natural leadership personality, who can provide clear guidance and expedient decision-making. The person filling this role should have the potential to grow into a larger leadership role.

Candidates will have a postgraduate degree in law and at least seven years experience practicing law. They will have knowledge of international legal principles and practices including civil, criminal, constitutional contract, employment, administrative and business law, procedures and procedures and practices used in the conduct of civil litigation, and judicial procedures and rules of evidence. Specific knowledge of tax (although ultimate tax responsibility lies with the CFO) and statutory matters affecting not-for-profit organizations and experience in Swiss law and how it relates to not-for-profit organizations will be important for success in this role. Experience of the legal aspects of high profile business ventures with third parties would be an advantage. 

• An ability to create compelling oral and written communications and presentations that are effective with a wide range of different international audiences
• Fluency in English and French.

A competitive (local) compensation package will be offered.

LOCATION

The position will be located at IB Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.